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Ceiling Fan Light Turns on by Itself | Here’s How to Fix It!

Picture this—you are innocently sitting in your living room, watching a TV show, reading your book, or just having a chat with your roommate. Suddenly, the ceiling fan lights turn on, but there’s no one else in the house.

The bad news is that you are not likely to be featured on the 9 o’clock news or have your tale adapted for the next Ghost Busters movie; there are actually several regular reasons for why this happens. The good news is that there are as many solutions as there are reasons!


Ceiling fan lights turn on by themselves if there is faulty wiring, breaker issues, defective wall switches, power outages, or surges. Remote-controlled fans could be picking up wireless signals from other devices. Changing frequency or fixing the breaker, switch, or wiring should fix the issue.

Other Devices Affecting the Light

One explanation for malfunctioning fan lights pertains only to those that are remote-controlled, i.e., fans that come with a remote and rely on wireless signals to run.

It is possible that the receiver in the fan is picking up signals emitted from another wireless source. The fan could be responding to signals from the wireless internet connection, Bluetooth devices, or any other appliance that relies on wireless signals to work.

If you find that the ceiling fan light turns on every time you are trying to turn on the Bluetooth speaker or you are fiddling with the internet router, then this might be your problem.

Ceiling fan lights turns on by itself maybe due to the receiver picking up signals from another wireless source

Solution

In this case, the solution is to reset the frequency of the ceiling fan remote.

  1. Turn off the power.
  2. Remove the ceiling fan canopy to access the receiver.
  3. Somewhere on the receiver will be four DIP switches. These should look like four small buttons that can be slid up and down to create a unique combination. You may have to remove a panel from the receiver to access these.
  4. Slide the buttons into new positions to change the fan’s frequency.
  5. Take the batteries out of the remote and locate the four DIP switches here. They also might be under a small panel under the batteries.
  6. Set the remote DIP switches to the same frequency (pattern) as the receiver.

Hopefully, you have now altered the frequency of your ceiling fan to one that is not being utilized by other devices in your home.

You’re Picking up Your Neighbor’s Signal

Similar to the previous explanation, if your neighbor has the same remote-controlled fan make and model as you, your fan may be picking up signals from their remote.

Even some ceiling fans of different makes can operate on the same frequency as your fan; there are only four DIP switches so the combinations are fairly limited.

Either you are returning the “favor” and turning their light on and off with your remote, or they have a more powerful remote, which allows the signal to reach your receiver.

If possible, you can test this theory with your neighbor’s help. If they try turning on their fan from their home, you can see if the fan in your home turns on at the same time.

Solution

If this is the reason your light is turning on by itself, the solution would, again, be to reset the frequency of the ceiling fan’s remote.

Power Surges

In the event of a power surge, the ceiling fan light may turn on by itself. This can happen for both remote-controlled fans and non-remote-controlled fans.

A power surge can happen for many reasons, but ultimately it results in a surge of electricity rushing through a circuit, which could reach your ceiling fan light (despite it being “off”).

The chances are that if this is the reason for your ceiling fan light turning on by itself, it will only be a transient effect. In other words, the light will flash on and then off as the surge passes or the circuit trips.

Power surges can vary in intensity and the resultant damage becomes worse with increasing excess current.

Not all power surges will turn your ceiling fan light on by itself and the ones that do are more likely to be of greater intensity, so you should examine the circuit and device for damage.

In addition to your ceiling fan light turning on by itself, other signs of a power surge include unusual odors near power outlets, other devices working improperly, and issues with other lights flickering or turning on/off.

Solution

Frequent power surges most commonly happen due to wiring damage. If you experience them, it is crucial to contact an electrician to do an inspection as they can be dangerous to investigate and try to fix on your own.

A professional will be able to assess the situation and recommend the next steps. These can range from essentially no maintenance (only unplugging some low-quality problematic device) to small or even large-scale repairs. It all depends on your unique situation.

Power surges can also be caused by lightning striking the house or an issue with the grid supply to your home. If these are the cause, then a professional is still your best recourse. They may have to install protective devices and systems to prevent surges to your house in the future.

Power Outage

Your ceiling fan light may use a smart lightbulb. These are wired and equipped with a battery that allows them to function even if there is no power flowing through the circuit. They are also designed so that they turn on automatically when electricity is restored to your home.

This feature is built in because if the bulb was turned off using a remote or app before the power outage, and someone flipped the manual switch a few times while the power was off, then it can mess with the on/off settings.

So, the light comes on automatically, and you can turn it off, “resetting” the on/off switches, as it were.

A power outage may also lead to a power surge as the electricity comes back on. This can happen as electricity suddenly surges when the power is restored and could also be causing the problem whether you have a smart bulb or not.

Solution

Some smart lights have a feature in their web application allowing you to choose what settings you’d like the lights to have when the power is restored, including staying off.

Unfortunately, not all smart bulbs will have these features, so you will have to check if your specific brand is able to do these things.

If you cannot program the bulb to stay off or turn off again after power is restored, then you will just have to manually turn it off unless you wish to replace it with a model that can be programmed.

Wiring Problems

Faulty wiring is an issue that can happen to any ceiling fan.

Sometimes it can be the result of improper installation. This will cause the voltage to come through the wiring at an inconsistent rate, leading to the light turning on by itself.

To see if this is the problem, you can inspect the wiring that runs to the ceiling fan and look for any kind of defects, such as tearing or breakage.

In the best-case scenario, you will just find some loose connections that need to be tightened.

Man checking the wiring of the ceiling fan

Solution

Since faulty wiring can potentially lead to an electrical fire, it should be your number one priority to repair it. You can either attempt to do so yourself or hire an electrician to come in and fix it for you.

In the United States, hiring an electrician to replace wiring costs $1,375 on average. This can vary significantly depending on the portion of the wiring that needs replacing, how long the job takes, etc.

If you decide to fix the wiring yourself, there are many factors to consider. You will need to figure out how you will access the wiring, what supplies you will need, what codes you need to follow, and more.

It is highly recommended that thorough research be done before attempting this yourself, as there are dangers that come with working on electrical structures.

Your research should also extend to whether or not you are permitted to do your own wiring. In some areas, it is against the law for an unlicensed person to perform electrical work.

Defective Wall Switch

Issues with a light wall switch can happen for any ceiling fan, especially ones that aren’t controlled by a remote. Wall switches can become loose due to how much they’re used.

This is likely the issue if:

  • The light doesn’t work when using the switch.
  • The switch turns on by itself.
  • You notice changing between the on and off switch positions is difficult.
  • The switch doesn’t stay in the position you set.

Solution

You can check if it is the wall switch that’s causing the problem and you can replace it if it is faulty.

Testing the switch:

  1. First, it’s important to shut off the circuit breaker.
  2. Then, remove all coverings from the external wall fixture.
  3. Use a voltage tester (amazon link) on the terminals and make sure it reads zero before handling wiring.
  4. If it’s safe, you can check whether the wires on the switch are loose and tighten them if needed.
  5. Then, turn the power on and test the switch again.
  6. If this doesn’t work, turn the power off, try connecting both wires to one screw, turn the power back on, and see if the light comes on. If it does, the switch needs to be replaced.

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To replace the switch:

  1. Ensure the power is off and prepare the new switch.
  2. Loosen all screws and connect the wires to the new switch.
  3. Then, put everything back and test it.

This should be done carefully and in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. It is wise to do further research on your specific appliances.

Here’s a video showing you how to replace the wall switch:

Issues With the Circuit Breaker

A faulty circuit breaker can also be the reason behind the ceiling fan light turning on by itself.

Some signs that this is what is happening are a burning smell, randomly tripping appliances, or that the breaker is hot.

If any signs suggest the circuit is burning, it’s best to call a professional electrician to come in and assess the problem.

Solution

If there aren’t any serious signs, there are a few things you can do to troubleshoot the circuit breaker yourself.

First, you can try turning off the circuit breaker and turning it back on again. Be sure to wait a few minutes in between flipping the switch off and on.

If this doesn’t solve your ghost light, check the wiring around the circuit breaker and look for any loose connections. Those are especially common for issues with lights.

Malfunctioning LED Light Bulb

If the lights in your fan are LED light bulbs, there could be a problem with the bulb itself. Most likely, the bulb is receiving more power than it needs.

LED bulbs don’t require very much power to work, so in some rare cases, if it is receiving too much power, the bulb may glow even if the light is technically off.

Solution

This is an issue that needs to be addressed because supplying too much power to an LED bulb can damage the bulb. Not to mention, it is just a waste of power.

To fix this issue, you will simply need to connect the LED bulb to a lower amount of amps than it is currently attached to.

Sources

https://www.delmarfans.com/educate/basics/how-to-change-remote-frequency/

https://www.goldtouch.com/stop-bluetooth-interference-messing-devices/

https://taraenergy.com/blog/power-surge-how-they-happen/

https://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/repair/how-to-replace-a-wall-switch.htm

https://homeguides.sfgate.com/troubleshoot-faulty-wall-switch-29112.html

https://community.smartthings.com/t/faq-how-outlets-behave-after-a-power-outage-brand-differences/100598

https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-revive-your-smart-light-settings-after-a-power-outage

https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=70e4b28f5000223b4069b82d25817e54JmltdHM9MTY1NzIxMDMxOSZpZ3VpZD0wOTExZTY2OC0yNzQxLTQ0YzYtOTYxMy1kZTNhYjE3Y2VhNWImaW5zaWQ9NTIyMg&ptn=3&hsh=2&fclid=8717d21e-fe0f-11ec-8582-1588f9e9df1a&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucmVkZGl0LmNvbS9yL2hvbWVhdXRvbWF0aW9uL2NvbW1lbnRzL25ydWl1My9rZWVwX3NtYXJ0X2J1bGJzX29mZl9hZnRlcl9wb3dlcl9vdXRhZ2Uv&ntb=1

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